Categories: Phillies Beat with Destiny Lugardo

Breaking down the best bullpen performances from Game 4 of the NLCS

Connor Brogdon was fantastic in the Phillies’ Game 4 win over San Diego. (Photo by John Adams/Icon Sportswire)

The Phillies’ 10-run offensive explosion will capture all the headlines and will probably be what fans remember most from what will go down as one of the greatest games in Phillies history.

The Phillies overcame two multi-run deficits, including a 4-0 disadvantage in the first inning to take Game 4 of the 2022 NLCS. Rhys Hoskins, Kyle Schwarber and J.T. Realmuto combined for four home runs in a 10-6 Phillies victory that puts them one win away from the National League pennant.

The offense won them the game, but the bullpen steered the ship. After starter Bailey Falter allowed four runs over 2/3 of an inning, five Phillies relievers combined to throw 7 1/3 shutout innings. A bad outing from Brad Hand was the only blemish.

Both clubs decided to bullpen their way through Game 4, so here is a look at some of the more consequential outings from Saturday night:

Padres: Nick Martinez in for Mike Clevinger in the 1st inning

Padres starter Mike Clevinger looked as bad as the box score suggested. His fastball velocity dipped down to 91.3 mph on his last pitch of the night, a sinker to Bryce Harper that he hit for a double. The command was all over the place. The Padres hoped for three innings out of him, but he did not record an out. He’s been dealing with a knee injury throughout the year and it’s possible that could have been in a factor in his outing on Saturday.

With the Padres’ four-run lead down to one after just 15 pitches, Bob Melvin went to one of his best bullpen arms to keep the game from getting out of hand.

Nick Martinez has been invaluable for San Diego this season. He struggled as a starter during the beginning of the season, but has found his way as a high-leverage arm that could go multiple innings when asked.

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Martinez has thrown at least 40 pitches out of the bullpen four times this year. He even struck out six Phillies hitters over four shutout innings at Citizens Bank Park in May.

He was just as dominate on Saturday as he was the last time the Padres came to town. Of the 43 pitches he threw, 14 generated a swing on a pitch that was outside the strike zone. The Phillies offense, the same one that scored 10 runs against the Padres pitching staff, looked silly against Martinez.

Melvin and the Padres were hoping Martinez could hand the ball over to Sean Manaea for at least one turn through the order, but his outing went nearly as poorly as Clevinger’s. The former A’s starter allowed five earned runs on four hits in a losing effort.

Not only did San Diego fail to get bulk relief from their two struggling starters in the bullpen, it’s very likely one of their best high leverage arms could be down for an elimination game on Sunday.

Phillies: Connor Brogdon in for Bailey Falter in the 1st inning

Rob Thomson made the gutsy call to count on Connor Brogdon as the first man out of the bullpen.

He struggled in his first postseason outing in the Division Series, allowing two earned runs and only getting one out in a Game 1 Phillies victory over Atlanta. Nerves were a factor in his first outing and he wasn’t afraid to admit that he was feeling the same way as he stepped on to the mound in the first inning.

Outside of allowing an inherited runner to score, Brogdon’s outing was nothing short of heroic considering the circumstances. He was asked to stop a Padres lineup that looked like it was about to run away with a series-tying victory and come back for another frame and face the top of the order after a long delay following the Phillies’ three run bottom of the first.

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Brogdon was also asked to throw more pitches than he had all season long. Coming into this game, his highest pitch count total was 29 back in May. He threw 32 on Saturday and with the help of the Citizens Bank Park crowd, he was able to power through it.

“I think I would have gassed out sooner if it wasn’t for the crowd,” Brogdon said.

Facing Austin Nola, Jurickson Profar and Juan Soto, Brogdon got out of the second inning on three fly balls to the right fielder Nick Castellanos. Soto hit a 108 mph laser straight to Castellanos for the final out of the second inning. As the ball landed in his glove, Brogdon paused for a few moments on the mound before heading back to the dugout.

He was asked to recall what was going on in his mind as he stood still. It was all a blur. He had to be reminded of what the final out looked like.

“I guess not a whole lot was going through my mind,” Brogdon laughed.

Phillies: David Robertson in for Noah Syndergaard in the 7th inning

In one of the weirder moments of the game, manager Rob Thomson received some mild boos from the home crowd as he walked out of the dugout to take the ball from Noah Syndergaard.

Syndergaard, the long-time New York Met, pitched a scoreless sixth inning and was back out for the seventh but allowed the leadoff man to reach base. The crowd loved them some Thor, so they weren’t too happy to see David Robertson jogging to the mound with the Padres top guys due up.

The Phillies traded a promising starting pitching prospect in Ben Brown at the deadline to acquire the veteran Robertson to pitch in this scenario. Robertson’s second tenure with the Phillies hasn’t always been pretty, but his outing on Saturday may have made the trade worth it and then some.

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Robertson needed just 17 pitches to get five outs against the very best of the Padres order. With a runner on in the seventh, Robertson took advantage of a great diving play to Bohm’s right to get Soto to ground into a fielder’s choice. A single from Manny Machado gave Josh Bell a chance to tie the game with one swing, but he struck out on a filthy curveball to end the threat.

Walks have been a problem for Robertson over the last two months. He allowed 16 free passes over 23 1/3 innings in the regular season with the Phillies, but he has yet to allow one so far this postseason.

Thomson said after the game that Seranthony Domínguez was only available in a closing situation. José Alvarado was down after he told Thomson he needed an extra day of rest. Zach Eflin was presumably penciled in to finish off the game, so who knows what would have happened if Robertson did not come through.

“We just went next man up every time,” Robertson said. “Whoever has the ball went out there and did the best and passed it to the next guy.”